Phenolic Resin (Lab Top) Audio Rack Shelves?

[kach22i]

I once made an audio rack out of salvaged maple butcher block for shelves and small aluminum I-beams vertical posts. Problem is the old maple started to split because of past improper storage.

I need to rebuild the rack with new wood or use a different material.

I was thinking of trying phenolic resin or epoxy resin shelves/tops, the same thing used in lab tables and countertops.

I might be able to source some used from the local university property disposition warehouse that is open to the public on the cheap, but would have to cut it down.

Question is, would this be a good material to use?

Uncutable safely?

Too weak to hold a lag bolt which is how my old rack was held together?

It will not sound good as it will suck too much energy out?

I see that a few high-end racks use it as trimming or some special composite mix of their own that seems to be similar.

I've also read that some high-end loudspeaker makers use it in their enclosures for it's anti-resonance qualities.

I do not see anyone doing exactly what I have in mind, just beating the bush to see what flies out.

Top 5 Materials To Consider For Your Lab Countertops

Are there any HPL (High Pressure Laminate ) audio rack shelves in use?

 

[andromedaaudio]

Hai I m actually thinking sometimes of having some made myself from HPl with thin wooden inlays on top .
HPL in piano laquer finish is awesome looking and remains so .
I dont know if its used any where , i suppose kharma uses it for racks also .
To answer your question i think it will absorb vibrations , but it will not drain energy from.components .
I think 30- 40 mm will be perfect for amp stands / racks.

Brg hj

 

[LL21]

I debated this with a custom kitchen cabinet maker who did high end luxury homes...and was also an audiophile. He ended up making a cabinet rack for us out of 21-layer Baltic birch ply...and then adding a African Sapele veneer (piano gloss finish). The shelves are 3 inches thick.

I am thinking of making another unit for the Gryphon Mephisto. I am looking at similar construction...but am intrigued about phenolic and epoxy resin materials as well. I think they do make birch ply with phenolic resin...or is it one and the same?

 

[kach22i]

This is another alternate, but didn't someone in the forum build a double thick plywood rack and then resorted to sticking something more resonate on top because too much music liveliness was being drained out?

https://www.audioreference.co.uk/iso-square/

ISO Square modular designed shelves dedicated to audio equipment. Each shelf is made by welded steel structure and a wood sandwich with special damping compound in between.

The upper wood shelf is “floating” and is not in touch with the bottom one. This system eliminates undesired vibrations and resonances.

Each shelf (sold separately) is available in two different heights (28 and 38 cm) which may be added as your system grows.

 

[kach22i]

I think they do make birch ply with phenolic resin...or is it one and the same?

I posted this last month in the paper thin wall thread I started.

Not shelving material though.

https://www.pyroteknc.com/products/subdue/subdue-x/

Subdue Range

lightweight multilayered acoustic panels
Subdue® is a lightweight multilayered panel offering exceptional acoustic properties. The outer layers of the sandwich panel are constructed from a choice of lightweight, but rigid and strong high-quality materials, such as plywood with a range of sound insulating inner core materials. The panels are specially designed to optimise acoustic solutions at lower weights and are an ideal choice in weight-sensitive applications where strength and good sound insulation properties are required. The panels can be supplied in standard or custom-designed modular sizes.

Most likely MLV or rubber like underfloor for sound material.

And looks like Luan.

 

[kach22i]

Hai I m actually thinking sometimes of having some made myself from HPl with thin wooden inlays on top .
HPL in piano laquer finish is awesome looking and remains so .
I dont know if its used any where , i suppose kharma uses it for racks also .
To answer your question i think it will absorb vibrations , but it will not drain energy from.components .
I think 30- 40 mm will be perfect for amp stands / racks.

Brg hj

When you said "inlays" did you mean veneer?

Can you post a couple of detailed images of the HPL you use?

Most of the information I found was on flooring products.

How does one go about putting a piano finish on plastic?

There has got to be some prep and special binder undercoats for it to stick I'd imagine.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Yes but its a thick " veneer " around 4 mm thick .
But its for decoration only .
If you wanna stay purist you can choose to use only Hpl for its functionality.
I work with a professional specialised company who have over 200 employees .
They know exacrtly what preparations need to be made .
The front face plate of my speakers is glued with a special elastomeer to prevent the paint from cracking over time .
You cant just glue a hpl box together and paint it .
Off course many preparations need to be done , before spray painting.

Please look at about half way in my H - J systems page, you can see many pics of the construction/ paintjob there .
Its on the WBF site

 

[andromedaaudio]

It comes under many different industrial names / uses indeed .
Ranging in thickness .

 

[andromedaaudio]

Actually , to tell you a secret of
my speaker designs, the wooden inlays will also be used to hide threaded holes.
The threaded holes will be used to insert eyebolts for hoisting points.
The people in the factory were complaing over the weight ,for piano laquerfinish you need 7 layers .
That means a lot of turning/ handling with a 250 kg monocoque speaker.

Ps thats the reason my speakers currently only have the normal finish.
Only 2 times spray painted / politoured ,unfortunately

 

[kach22i]

I'd imagine that inlays also help break up surface tension resonance because of the material shift.

 

[LL21]

I posted this last month in the paper thin wall thread I started.

Not shelving material though.

https://www.pyroteknc.com/products/subdue/subdue-x/

Most likely MLV or rubber like underfloor for sound material.

And looks like Luan.

Thanks...I am intrigued about the compound. As for the strength element, I suppose that relates to how much of the wood one uses...getting 3 inches of it will make a big improvement over a single layer of this. However, certain wood is better for load bearing than others. I will look further into this.

I am actually thinking of using birch ply...and instead of having a veneer...use a 1/4 or 1/2 thick sheet of hardwood which can be polished and glossed...but this hardwood can be bonded as well as screwed to the ply. Perhaps a bit too much DIY but something I will discuss with the cabinet makers.

 

[kach22i]

I've been looking into Cross-Laminated-Timber (CLT) as an alternate material.

Don't know much about it yet though.

Link:
https://www.apawood.org/cross-laminated-timber

 

[LL21]

I've been looking into Cross-Laminated-Timber (CLT) as an alternate material.

Don't know much about it yet though.

Link:
https://www.apawood.org/cross-laminated-timber

Thanks. There is also LVL, laminated veneer lumbar also known in the trade as MicroLam...often used in lieu of steel ibeams in residential construction in the states. Has comparable strength to steel beams in certain applications.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminated_veneer_lumber

 

[kach22i]

Thanks. There is also LVL, laminated veneer lumbar also known in the trade as MicroLam...often used in lieu of steel ibeams in residential construction in the states. Has comparable strength to steel beams in certain applications.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminated_veneer_lumber

Yes I know those products well as an architect, but not as an audiophile.

I suspect the LVL and PSL products have too much glue in them and will sound even more dead than MDF or plywood.

A microlam on it's side will weigh even more than butcher block and is of a softer species, but still an interesting option - thank you for bringing it up.

 

[LL21]

Yes I know those products well as an architect, but not as an audiophile.

I suspect the LVL and PSL products have too much glue in them and will sound even more dead than MDF or plywood.

A microlam on it's side will weigh even more than butcher block and is of a softer species, but still an interesting option - thank you for bringing it up.

Yes, i think the question is what purpose do we have in the design of the rack? For me, i want something solid to hold the weight, probably not ring like an absolute bell...but I am also not trying to focus on studying materials to figure what others have already figured out.

So with this rack, i then use HRS M3X shelves, Ultra 6s or SRA. But at least I know that the rack will easily hold the weight, probably keep away some level of vibration through sheer mass/weight and being built of birchply (which certainly has enough support and positive feedback to give me some level of confidence in its abilities).

 

[kach22i]

HRS M3X shelves

I suspect that the proprietary polymers they mention are in the same family of resins I've been looking into.

The M3X Isolation Base
https://www.fidelisav.com/hrs-m3x-isolation-base/

It is manufactured from six different materials including two proprietary polymers, billet machined aircraft aluminums, and polished black granite.

And below another product.

https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=13611

Replacement platter for the Rega P1 og RP-1 turntable. Phenolic resin material.

Rega also uses Phenolic resin to outer coat their MDF plinths.

I'm seeing this product used in moderation in loudspeakers, turntables, platforms and shelves, could it be cost or too much of a good thing is overkill?

 

[Loheswaran]

I suspect that the proprietary polymers they mention are in the same family of resins I've been looking into.

The M3X Isolation Base
https://www.fidelisav.com/hrs-m3x-isolation-base/


And below another product.

https://www.av-connection.com/?PGr=13611

View attachment 62335
View attachment 62336


Rega also uses Phenolic resin to outer coat their MDF plinths.

I'm seeing this product used in moderation in loudspeakers, turntables, platforms and shelves, could it be cost or too much of a good thing is overkill?

I was wondering when someone would say Rega. The thing is they are designed ground up as a low energy storage source and to dissipate energy quickly.

It may well be application specific.

On another note you can't just buy a cut or a piece - you have to buy a whole bloody 2.4 meter board of the stuff at a time and that cost about £650.00 in 2015 (thats' when I last checked)

 

[microstrip]

Aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel,

I was wondering when someone would say Rega. The thing is they are designed ground up as a low energy storage source and to dissipate energy quickly.

It may well be application specific.

On another note you can't just buy a cut or a piece - you have to buy a whole bloody 2.4 meter board of the stuff at a time and that cost about £650.00 in 2015 (thats' when I last checked)

As far as I remember the first masters of low energy storage in audio were Celestion (SL600 speakers) and Pink Triangle ( PT Too turntable) in the early 90's. They used aerolam, an ultra-ligh aluminium honeycomb sandwich panel used in aircraft.

 

[Loheswaran]

Pink triangle - now the Funk firm - are brilliant innovators. Aerolam is not so much for energy storage, as it is about structural rigidity. It's also used on lab tables due to its ability to absorb resonances - In fact I've made two 60 x 45 aerolam aluminium sandwiches - I am gonna use it in a turntable plinth I am making

 

[kach22i]

I tried a shelf material experiment last night. I placed a 1/8" thick x 18" x 21" sheet of stainless steel under my turntable. It extended and heightened my highs to the very edge of sibilance without crossing over, and the bass was tight with slam, but on the very last LP played male vocals sounded thin and a little washed out.

This is consistent with putting other steel and steel alloys under my equipment.

I will not be using S.S. despite reading about others liking it.

Read this 2011 review last night.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/silent_running_audio_scuttle.htm
Quote:
The outside layers of each frame component receive a distinctive coating of a black phenolic composite that adds considerable strength. Once on the frame, SRA machines this resin to a specific pattern; up close, it appears slightly wavy and random. The pattern helps frustrate the tendency (known as skin effect) for vibrations to travel freely on smooth surfaces, growing in amplitude as they gain momentum

End Quote.

I do not think skin effect will be much of issue with equipment sitting on shelves breaking up the surface tension and dampening the resonance with their weight.

I have two pieces of 1" thick x 12" x 36" aluminum salvaged from a standing computer rack and coat rack I built 20 years ago that I hope to place under my preamp, amp, and CD player. In the past aluminum has given me a good sound, not as good as bronze/brass but pretty close.

Google "PaperStone turntable", PaperStone is out of Oregon and like the name is made of recycled paper and resin of some type.

Comes in solid sheets for countertops and can be used outdoors.

They also laminate thinner sheets of it to Baltic Birch for furniture making, up to 1.25" thick. I'm going to order some samples to see if it is a good shelf material for me.

EDIT:

Interesting website below, not only audio furniture but some speakers too, wild stuff.

https://oswaldsmillaudio.com/audio-furniture

Gray metal cast open baffle loudspeakers, just wow.

Oh, and another furniture and turntable + equipment maker in the artist vein.

https://www.fernandroby.com/products/furniture

Edit-2:

Turns out the large 1 inch slab of metal is stainless steel and will fit under the tube preamp and McIntosh CD player.

I took my most powerful magnet on a stem/wand that can pick up washers from 2" away and heavy bolts from 1" away to the surface of the stainless steel. There was no detectable pull or draw from it, so I'm declaring it non-magnetic. Not sure if that is an official test but it works for me.

The other 1 inch lab is only long enough to go under the Rotel power amp but is aluminum.

Will be removing the thin SS under the turntable in any case.

My connection cleaning kit came in the mail, good time to do all the changes and upkeep at the same time.